Fundamentals on shoemaking
The relationship between the human foot and the footwear going through the shoe last. A deep dive into the parameters used in the shoe last development covers production, analysis of length, width, size measurements and size conversion among EU, UK and USA systems. Explanation of upper and lining materials. Focus on interlinings and reinforcements to be used depending on the shoe. Understanding of the process of cutting and upper assembling related to materials and new upper making systems.

Materials and components
Materials for uppers (leathers, fabrics, synthetics, action leather, by-cast) and linings, Middle components (counters, toe boxes, interlinings), Bottom components (mid-soles, outsoles and heels).

Shoe constructions
Overview of production process. Basic upper constructions: board lasted, strobel lasted and tubular moccasin. Basic footwear constructions: cemented outsoles, stitched families (e.g. Blake, stitch-out, Goodyear), vulcanized and injection/direct attach. Alternative/hybrid constructions derived from basic ones and approaches to mix upper and shoe constructions.

Student’s reviews

Some comments from the latest intake:

Being in the class was a pleasure and a catalyst for my career. The recent professional development workshop on footwear manufacturing provided an invaluable insight into key areas such as last making, leather types, edge finishing, elastomers, and polymers and much more. Attendees will not only gain an amazing foundation in footwear but the class culminates participation where no question goes unanswered. The deep dives into each of each of these footwear topics is something that I use every day. As a footwear developer myself, I was highly impressed with the amount of knowledge, hidden secrets, and industry nuggets we received. If you’re on the fence or have an interest in shoes/development, being around motivated and curious shoe dawgs, then this program is for you. I believe if you work in any part of the industry as a developer, merchandiser, designer, costing specialist, PM, ext, you could benefit and receive a top tier education in a small period of time. Some might call this family the MIT of Shoe School. It’s funny though, the one regret I have from this class is that I wish I took take it sooner in my footwear career. Thank you Arsutoria for the incredible experience and wealth of knowledge!

Marco Gooding | Snowboard Boot R&D, Vans Snow

“I recently attended the Arsutoria 5-day footwear workshop in Boston, and it was an incredible experience! As someone working in fit and wear testing for footwear, the knowledge I gained has already made a significant impact on how my team and I will approach our work from here on out. We dove deep into the last creation process, learning how starting with the correct last makes all the difference in patterning and fitting a shoe. “The Last Comes First”. Understanding how to analyze a last and evaluate materials right from the beginning gives our team an edge in focusing on the key elements during fitting and wear testing. We also explored various materials for the uppers—like leather, fabrics, and synthetics—and all the components that go into making a shoe, such as midsoles, outsoles, and toe boxes. Gaining insight into how these materials are selected and utilized in different types of shoes was incredibly helpful for understanding why certain shoes perform the way they do. I have yet to go to one of our factories, so my favorite part was the deep dive into shoe construction. We covered the entire production process, learning how different types of shoes are made, from premium women’s pumps to the latest Super Critical Foam running shoes. For my role, this course was invaluable. Really understanding all that goes into the process of creating all types of shoes will help us easily identify whether a problem stems from the shoe design, the materials, or the manufacturing process. Whether you’re into shoes as a hobby or for work, I can’t recommend this course enough. It was a fun and informative experience, and I walked away with invaluable knowledge.”

Mikey Klein | Sr Manager Fit & Wear Testing, Footwear at Vans

The footwear manufacturing course was a game-changer for my professional development as a Hardgoods designer. I gained invaluable insights into the fundamentals of shoemaking which will enhance my design approach. Understanding shoe constructions and sourcing strategies has empowered me to make informed decision on production methods. Moreover, networking with industry professionals expended my connections and expertise. This course has elevated my skills, allowing me to create innovative, functional, and production-ready swim shoe designs. I highly recommend this program to footwear professionals seeking to deepen their knowledge and stay ahead in the industry.

Yeseily Pruneda | Designer Hardgoods at Speedo

The workshop (professional development in footwear manufacturing) was truly an incredible opportunity and I believe that was partially due to the experienced and passionate instructors. I have gained so much more knowledge on manufacturing process that will help me make better decisions in my role, and also improve communication and understanding with factories.

Meme Ghanim | Pre-production and Sustainability Manager at Dolce Vita Footwear

I envision the “Professional development in footwear manufacturing” course will help my professional development through the professional connections that I made with other students and the knowledge has already helped me in my role less than a week after. The course provided a wealth of knowledge in the industry from how shoes used to be made to how they’re made today. Specifically this will help me (in the role of Costing) to be more educated when I speak to design, factories and more. The experience you provided was invaluable and I hope to participate in another Arsutoria course soon!

Josh Brown | Costing Specialist Caleres, Naturlizer & Bzees

“Artsutoria’s professional development in footwear manufacturing sessions enforce my understanding and reintroduced me to our industry. Instructors have worked in this industry for several decades and their ease to drive the class and address our questions show that, covering topics such as basic footwear terms, development, design, costing, and general manufacturing. The footwear industry is always an ongoing form of evolution, and their sessions explore the different stages without moving away from the traditional art of footwear creation. I am extremely thankful for the instructors and coordinator for putting this class together and looking forward for future learning sessions.

Alex Lopez | Footwear development at Vans